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Kyle Rudolph’s departure creates new opportunity for Irv Smith with Vikings

Earlier this week the Minnesota Vikings announced the release of its long-time tight end Kyle Rudolph who played 10 years with the franchise.

Rudolph had been a mainstay of the Vikings offense as he was among its most important players over the course of his career, but now the team will be moving on in a different direction.

That new direction might be in the form of former Alabama tight end Irv Smith Jr. who will be headed into his third season in the national football league. Smith was a second-round selection during the 2019 NFL Draft, as the Vikings were clearly looking to the future of that position.